Israel authorities refuse entry of Nizamabad people

Nizamabad: The State government claims of reverse migration due to enhanced irrigation facilities boosting agriculture and creating livelihoods in rural areas. However, it seems there is no end to the migration saga of workers from Nizambad, Kamareddy, and Jagitial districts who continue to get cheated by the middlemen.

Rajender, the victim who was cheated by the agents of Rs 10 lakh, speaking to The Hans India, said he had gone to as far as Jordan on visiting visa to enter Israel. But, "the moment the immigration authorities found I am from Nizamabad from Telangana State of India, they refused entry citing that I had some work."

It is a new scam with which visa agents lure gullible people from the district offering work in Israel and EU countries to fleece to the tune of lakhs of rupees.

For example, some agents have advertised that they would get higher salaries for working in Israel, with limited working hours.

The modus operandi of the agent was to get issue visiting visas for those seeking work in that country by collecting anywhere from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. A company working visa from Israel pegged at a premium of Rs 20 lakh.

The agents were getting group visiting visas for them as tourists to visit synagogues and other tourist places in Israel. They are supposed to go to Jordan from Dubai to Israel. However, the Israeli authorities are stopping the people of Nizamabad at the border with Jordan and sending them back.

Because, once in Israel, the group of people from Nizamabad were asked to stay back by the agents assuring them to get work for them. In turn, those hoping to work in that country left to stay back beyond the expiration of their visa time and landed in trouble.

That apart, the Israel authorities have identified those from Nizamabad who obtained group visiting visas went missing. They did not return after the expiration of their visa periods. Thus, special surveillance has been mounted with a focused drive against identifying them and either prosecuting them as per the immigration laws of that country or sending them to serve jail sentences. Besides, refusing entry to those travelling on visiting visas from Nizamabad to enter their country.

The main driver with which the agents are running the scam is that the wages in Israel are paid based on the hours worked in a day. "We are paid 40 to 50 Shekels (Israeli currency) per hour and we work for about 10 to 12 hours a day. In conversion rates, a Shekel comes to Rs 23. It allows a worker to earn from Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000 per day," a victim cheated by the agents said. Additionally, this makes the visa for Israel to cost anywhere around Rs 20 lakh if work permits are issued from a company in Israel.

Saindla Rajaiah, Pravasimithra Labour Union (PMLU) State general secretary, said, recently 628 people returned home after being cheated. The agents are not paying at least part of the illegally collected money to those who have returned and demanded action against the scamsters taking people for a raid in the name of providing jobs abroad.